Beirut, Lebanon - Photos Part 1
The writing linked to these photos is located here.
A bridge destroyed during the 2006 war with Israel, part of the main Damascus-Beirut highway
A new shopping centre under construction in central Beirut
Razor wire in the foreground, Place de l'Etoile's clocktower in the centre and Al-Omari Mosque in the background.
A skyscraper left abandoned after either the 1980s civil war the or 2006's war with Israel.
CORRECTION; from comments: "
(If you look at the top floor, you will see the tell-tale bulge of one of the old-style Holiday Inn revolving restaurants!)
The Holiday Inn was _also_ used during the hotel wars (hence the name ...)."
Thanks again adiamondinsunlight!
A bullet-holed street sign
Hezbollah's tent city in central Beirut
Around Beirut I saw several pictures of Rafik Hariri, the businessman/politician assassinated in 2005
The entrance to the American University of Beirut. The ladies in this vicinity were particularly beautiful.
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Labels: lebanon
Comments:
The abandoned skyscraper is the Burj El Murr (Murr Tower), which was only partially built when the civil war broke out in 1975. Its frame was finished during a lull the following year, making it a prime militia location for the "hotel wars" of 1977-78.
# posted by
adiamondinsunlight at 22 July, 2007 13:30
Burj Al Murr is the OTHER gutted skyscraper, further up on the same road. Your photo is of the old Holiday Inn, which was open and functioning for a few swinging years before the war started.
(If you look at the top floor, you will see the tell-tale bulge of one of the old-style Holiday Inn revolving restaurants!)
The Holiday Inn was _also_ used during the hotel wars (hence the name ...).
Hanin Ghaddar recently did a wonderful piece on central Beirut's "iconic eyesores". It was published on a very political site, the pro-March 14 Now Lebanon, so I send it on to you with that caveat - but her piece is lovely and very rich: http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=5691.
# posted by
adiamondinsunlight at 23 July, 2007 15:03
# posted by
Joe at 24 July, 2007 05:26